1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to improvements in rotary cutters used for such applications as mowing grass and weeds, and shredding crop stalks, small brush and saplings.
2. Description of the Related Art.
Rotary mowers or cutters typically include a blade mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and carried within a housing that is towed behind a mobile vehicle, such as a tractor. The housing includes a deck above the blade and skirts projecting downwardly from the deck to contain the cut material within the housing. The housing further includes hitch structure at its forward end to connect the mower with the tractor and a ground engaging wheel to carry the rear section of the mower.
Mower tail wheels are mounted in a variety of fashions. Commonly the tail wheels are mounted on an arm or a tail wheel tube that extends rearwardly beyond the rear of the mower deck and is pivotally mounted to the housing deck to swing up and down. To raise and lower the deck, and accordingly the cutting blade to the desired cutting height above the ground, various bracket and attaching means are used to adjustably position the tail wheel tube and wheel relative to the deck.
Many present mower height adjustment structures provide brackets on the rear skirting of the mower housing and a compatible bracket mounted to the tail wheel tube. One example of this manner of providing for mower height adjustment is found on the John Deere Model 506 Rotary Cutter.
While these type of height adjustment mechanisms function adequately, stresses can be encountered in the deck frame and particularly the rear skirt that cause twisting deformation of the skirt and upper deck.